Articles of Faith: What Matters Most?

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This post is part of our Sunday Series titled “Articles of Faith.”
We investigate leadership lessons from the Bible.
See the whole series here. Published only on Sundays.
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When you wake up in the morning, do you ever think that this day might be your last? Do you think that this may be the last day that you see a loved-one, a co-worker, a friend, a neighbor, or that person at your favorite store? That either you or them might die, or some how otherwise be disconnected from them forever? Do you think in terms of finality? Finality in relationships, in purpose, in endeavors?

Well, do you? Do you daily think about “finality?” Do you?

Finality. Pretty depressing, huh?

Optimist or Pessimist

Why do I ask such bizarre and morbid questions? Why am I asking you if you think of such terrible things?

Well, why not. These are things of truth and consequence. No?

If you do not think this way about things, like important people in your life perishing and important stuff ending within your domain, well then, why not? Why are you not thinking in these ways? Are you walking around thinking that everything you have will last forever? Do you think that things really last? Do you focus on emotionally positive thoughts all the time? Is your optimistic point of view leading to look only at the sunny side of life without looking beyond the horizon for clues to what is really coming next? Would thinking about things like finality, ending relationship, or ending things that you know and love make you unhappy, depressed, or just bring you down?

Well if you do think that thinking that way is pessimistic and depressing, I have a way for you to think about things like “finality” that can really encourage you.

But first, here are some fun facts for you.  Look around and notice some things.

Notice that:

• Nothings lasts.
• Things rust.
• They wither.
• They rot. They decompose.
• They grow old. Then die.
• In fact, go to the shopping mall and look at people. Count ’em. Every one of them; they are going to die.

Fun, huh!?

“Finality” has its way of smacking you in the face. Things, stuff, people…well, they just don’t last. Even your best dreams for your future… they will come and they will go.

Nothing sticks around. Your projects, your work, your legacy… it’s all got a short shelf life. Believe me, everything that comes will eventually go.

So “Welcome to Suckville! “A Place Where Everything Dies”

Well, everything dies for a reason. It dies so that you can observe the misery of that final death and look toward something hopeful that doesn’t cause so much despair. I mean, look at any given day that you have. Don’t you feel some sort of overwhelming challenge in your world that encumbers your joyful spirit? Don’t you see that somewhere in your complicated life that relief should be in sight: that something needs to give? And aren’t you hoping for something that promises abundant life, renewed physicality, and joy-filled hope so that you can lift that burden off of your shoulders?

Aren’t you waking up and looking for some way out of Suckville?

Well, to be honest, some of you know exactly what I am talking about. And others simply have no idea about what I am conveying. So, to be clear, I am simply saying that life has challenges that can be overwhelming. Really overwhelming. But whether you are looking at the bright side of things or not, consequences always loom large in the end. They just do. So a realistic expectation should be that all things come to an end. Including you, your works, and everything else (…oh, and your money, kids, assets, and 401k’s are included, too.)

Reality Looms Large

Ladies and gentlemen, everything you have ever known is coming to an end. So, I have two questions for you in that context. And that is this:

What matters most to you? And are you living and leading others with that in mind?

But before you give an answer, think about this passage from Scripture:

Matthew 6:19-21 (New International Version)

Treasures in Heaven

¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

So as a leader in the “real world,” what are you doing each morning when you wake up to think about your priorities at work, at home, and eveywhere in between? Are you truly investing in things of this world for the sake of man’s applause, or are you looking further for something much more grand? Are you investing in the temporal, or in the eternal? Where are you storing up treasures? And how do you think your followers are perceiving your investments? What matters most to you?

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Tom Schulte is Executive Director of Linked 2 Leadership &
CEO of Recalibrate Professional Development in Atlanta, GA USA.
He can be reached at [email protected]

Image Sources: funnychill.com, potofgrass.com